The Best Ways To Help Ivan

The New Soviet Commonwealth Faces Tough Challenges, But The Rewards Are Clear. Foreign Assistance Now Will Be Most Valuable.

December 27, 1991

Because Mikhail Gorbachev's resignation was long anticipated, his Christmas Day goodbye was anticlimactic. Still, the former Soviet leader conducted his last address as president with dignity and grace.

Most impressive, power changed hands and the last vestige of Soviet authority was ended without violence. The challenge in the months ahead is to maintain stability.

The Bush administration already has contributed by recognizing Russia and several other former Soviet republics. Such official acceptance is important to getting the new nations up and running as sovereign countries.

Next, those that are not members of the United Nations need to be brought in. And Russia would be the appropriate heir to the Soviet U.N. Security Council seat.

But the greatest task will be in shaping the domestic evolution of the new commonwealth. Naturally, the main burden falls to the member states. Their shortcoming, however, is that they lack experience in the ways of democracy and free markets. They can easily veer off track.

Witness the tragedy unfolding in the former republic of Georgia. There, an elected president and loyal troops are battling opposition forces that want a parliamentary system. Their haste in resorting to force to resolve political differences should serve as a warning for the other new states.

Another complication is a sense of despair among many people in the former republics - inspired by economic decline, shortages of consumer goods and a warning by Russian President Boris Yeltsin that the situation will remain bad for at least a year.

In such an environment, passion could surpass reason. There's a real risk that Georgia's strife could afflict all the former republics. All the more incentive for the United States to move quickly to help the commonwealth.

Food and medicine to ease the commonwealth through the winter already are committed. Now those goods need to be delivered promptly and efficiently.

Meanwhile, an encouraging development is that Mr. Yeltsin has assumed control of the former Soviet Union's nuclear forces. That eases confusion as to who the Bush administration will be dealing with on that matter. There should be no further delay in using money that Congress approved to dismantle some of the weapons.

Finally, technical assistance - which will help ensure long-term stability in the commonwealth - also needs to be coordinated. Again, the United States can take the lead, especially because it will be providing a large share of the assistance.

Mr. Yeltsin's goal of turning around the commonwealth's economic problems will be tough. But the member nations need a bold goal they can rally around. And well-directed foreign assistance can help make it happen.